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The Five Petals of the Blazing Star
Yeah, yeah. You'll get the drill. Check out The Main Characters, and don't forget to leave your advice on this story's Feedback Page Prologue The stars in the night sky seemed to flicker overhead. Gravely silent, as they watched over the forest with careful eyes. Everything was so calm, under the right conditions. It would have been nice, but this night was anything but nice. "You're-you're sure?! Positive- ''that they won't get better? Is there anything at all I can do?!" The medicine apprentice stared in disbelief. But they only responded with urgency. "Archpaw, you have to wake up. You have to leave, it's too late for the clans. Listen- You will not be alone. We are pulling four other young cats just like you from the clans. Together, you will all keep the warrior blood flowing. Understood?" The starry outlines of four cats appeared before her. Each from one of the other five clans. "You can't expect me to work with rival clan cats!" "Archpaw! In a moon or so there won't be any clans to rival with! Go get them! Wake up! Wake up now! Before it's too late for you!" Chapter One~Heatherpaw: Resting from the Long Travel The brown and white tabby yawned, the forest floor felt weird under her paws. It was stiff with soil, and grass. Nothing like the soft marsh and pines that protected her pads back in Shadowclan. Not to mention: the trees curved their branches to block off the sky, unlike the towering pines that swayed in the light breeze. Yes, this was nothing like her old home. She hated it, having to eat rabbits, and fish. Sometimes not eating at all. What she would give to be able to have one bite of a juicy frog or toad... That slimy skin, and soft flesh. Made it easy chew, with tender meat and and sweet blood on the inside of the creature. She grunted as her paw hit a sharp stone, Heatherpaw quickly jerked her paw into the air. Shaking it as pain cursed through it. "How do you stand this?!" She looked over at two apprentice toms. Who looked back at her, their eyes glittering in confusion. "The trees blocking the sun, the grass, and stones- ''everything! I can't stand it!" ". . .I don't see what's so bad about it? You can practically walk from branch to branch here." Quilpaw was the first the speak. Copperpaw nodded in agreement. "Yeah, it's not that bad, Heatherpaw!" The Shadowclan apprentice huffed. "I mean... I'd rather prefer a field but-" "Nobody asked you for your opinion, Goosepaw!" Goosepaw flattened his ears, but didn't get the chance to say anything, as soon as Quilpaw jumped to his defense, they all broke out like a group of angry starlings. She heard Archpaw sigh, and saw the Medicine Apprentice pad off somewhere. Attention turned from the fueling drama. Heatherpaw suddenly felt weary, her paws were like stones, and her eyes drooped. Her tail dropped, she felt exhausted. They had been traveling for Starclan knows how long, it was time for a good rest. "Hey, how about we stop and rest here?" She raised her voice. "Admit it: We're all tired." The clearing fell silent. Frog-dung! Now what? ''"Come on, let's hunt, and rest." She pushed. "I don't know about you, but my paws feel like stones!" It remained silent, and tense. Heatherpaw was relieved to hear Goosepaw grunt in agreement, and pad off to hunt. Copperpaw and Quilpaw sat down to wait. ''They planning to share or something? Does Goosepaw agree? ''She shook her head. ''Whatever, I'm not eating what that rabbit-breath brings back. I'm going to try and find some ''real ''Shadowclan prey! '' She didn't say where she was going, simply broke away from the group. Maybe she could find a frog or two near a water source. ''Not to mention, a drink would be nice right about now. ''The trees towered over her, and covered the sunlight to make it dapple on the soil. Her ears pricked, for any sound of water. A creek, a stream? Maybe a ditch? Whatever she could find would do. Her paws landed on slimy ground, and satisfaction filled her chest. Heatherpaw stood there for a second, admiring the creek that flowed freely over the pebbles below, and splashed against stray sticks that lay on the edge of the bank. The croaking of frogs came from a nearby fallen tree, it seemed to have just barely missed the creek, it was thin-trunked, and long dead. But toads were active around it. Making Heatherpaw lick her lips, and get into a hunters crouch. Her paws slightly sinking into the mud, her belly pressed low to the mud, Heatherpaw inched toward her prey. She only had one shot at this: toads were rather quick. She couldn't go after it if it were to go into the creek. Pawstep after pawstep, her gaze seemed to sharpen, her focus seemed to increase. She finally stopped, remaining low to the ground. The whole forest was silent to her, apart from the croaking of her prey. Bunching up her muscles, and sliding slowly forward... ''Now! ''She sprang, her paws landing on the slimy ground, and the soft flesh of the creature. It was immediately killed by the pressure of her massive paw. Purring with content, Heatherpaw took her prey into her jaws, heading back over to where the other apprentices were waiting. Copperpaw and Quilpaw were sharing a rabbit. ''And here I thought ''Goosepaw ''was the rabbit-breath! '' "You call ''that ''prey?" She called to the two toms, getting their attention. "Mouse-brains! ''This-" She pawed at her toad. "Is prey! Try it!" Copperpaw and Quilpaw stared at her, they opened their jaws to speak. When Goosepaw came into the clearing. Holding a rabbit and a vole in his jaws. He let them both drop to the ground, grunting in dismay. He seemed somewhat dispirited at his catch. "I'm tired of rabbits, here." He pushed the prey over to Copperpaw and Quilpaw. Both the Thunderclan and Skyclan apprentice didn't hesitate to dig in to the extra meal. Heatherpaw's ears pressed to her head. "You're not gonna try it?" Quilpaw looked over to the prey. his nose wrinkled. "Er... no offense, Heatherpaw... But I think I'd die if I had to eat that..." Heatherpaw's ears pressed to her head in dismay, and her confidence sunk. Only to be replaced by bubbling frustration. "I'll try it," a surprised feeling penetrated the bubbling anger in Heatherpaw's chest. Goosepaw was sitting in front of her, "I'll try it." He repeated. Reluctantly, Heatherpaw nodded. Pushing her prey towards the windclan tom with a paw. Reluctantly, he bent down, taking a bite out of the frog. Chapter Two:Goosepaw~A Possible Friend? As the flesh and blood of Heatherpaw's prey hit his tongue, Goosepaw used every bit of strength he had to hold back a reflex of gagging the prey back up. It tasted so different from rabbit, he had never bothered to try toad before. He didn't exactly see a point in doing it. Did you see frogs and toads hopping around the grassland on a daily basis? No. Heatherpaw stared eagerly, the proud apprentice was annoying at times. He would admit, she always called him 'rabbit-breath', and make harsh jokes about his clan. 'Can't stay out of trouble, can you? It's not our fault you always stole prey from us!' He was honest, if the others hadn't been standing there at that moment. He would have have attacked, and probably killed, Heatherpaw.